2nd Harada Shuzo Goshi Kaisha (Higashiura, Chita District, Aichi Prefecture)

Toji Katsuyasu Imaizumi

Interviewee: Toji Imaizumi (hereafter “Imaizumi”)

Interviewer: Ayako Yoshida of bien (hereafter “bien”)

bien: Imaizumi-san, what got you into sake making?

Imaizumi: My father ran a retail liquor shop,

so I've been surrounded by alcohol since birth. In university I often drank with friends — a group of sake lovers. Around then there was a ginjo boom, and the aroma made me wonder how something this delicious came to be! That's what sparked my interest. bien: Imaizumi-san, what got you into sake making?

Imaizumi: My father ran a retail liquor shop,

so I've been surrounded by alcohol since birth. In university I often drank with friends — a group of sake lovers. Around then there was a ginjo boom, and the aroma made me wonder how something this delicious came to be! That's what sparked my interest.

bien: So wondering how something delicious is made was your starting point.

Imaizumi: So I joined a kura and did various work in sales,

while helping out the toji in my spare time and learning from him.

bien: I see. How old were you then?

Imaizumi: From 22. I was interested in making, so I'd go to the toji and learn.

bien: That's how you entered this world then.

What's the hardest part of working at the kura, in your daily duties?

Imaizumi: The hardest thing is keeping work moving, so to speak — where to place people from the planning stage, that sort of thing.

Because without people, nothing gets done.

People tend to imagine a toji as purely technical, but the job actually leans more toward management.

bien: I see. Indeed, since it's made by people working and moving, that makes sense.

Conversely, what do you find enjoyable?

Imaizumi: Being able to watch things take shape. I do love sake, after all.

bien: So you enjoy watching things being made! Which part of the process do you like the most?

Imaizumi: I love koji (麹). Making koji is my favorite part.

It's settled in a short period, so you truly can't let your guard down, and there's no faking it.

It turns into muro in only about 50 hours. With moromi (もろみ) it takes about a month, so with that much time there are all sorts of adjustments you can make. But koji alone is a short, decisive battle.

bien: Is koji essentially the foundation of flavor?

Imaizumi: I'd say so. Koji is what matters most.

bien: Thank you. So, what does Imaizumi-san, as the toji of Harada Shuzo, particularly value?

Imaizumi: Well, our company puts artisanal handcraft front and center, so while keeping that as our pillar,

the other thing is how well this water and our methods can complement each other.

bien: Any goals for the future?

Imaizumi: I want to make sake that is clean and light, easy to drink.

And the question is how to reconcile that with what the president wants to make.

bien: How many years have you been with Harada?

Imaizumi: As toji, this is my first year. I left my previous kura around this time last year and joined.

You might say they took me in while I was drifting.

Previously I brewed in Toyohashi. Coming here, the water is completely different, so it was somewhat nerve-wracking — it was a kura of the complete opposite type.

Last year they entrusted me with all the koji. I mainly handled the koji last year, and that alone changes the flavor. The koji factor is really quite significant.

bien: Even more to look forward to ahead. Thank you for your precious time.

Read the interview with Representative Akihiro Harada here